Trusted WLAN connectivity to 3GPP evolved packet core

ABSTRACT

Systems, devices, and configurations to implement trusted connections within wireless networks and associated devices and systems are generally disclosed herein. In some examples, a wireless local area network (WLAN) may be attached to a 3GPP evolved packet core (EPC) as a trusted access network, without use of an evolved packet data gateway (ePDG) and overhead from related tunneling and encryption. Information to create the trusted attachment between a mobile device and a WLAN may be exchanged using Access Network Query Protocol (ANQP) extensions defined by IEEE standard 802.11u-2011, or using other protocols or standards such as DHCP or EAP. A trusted WLAN container with defined data structure fields may be transferred in the ANQP elements to exchange information used in the establishment and operation of the trusted attachment.

PRIORITY CLAIM

This application is a U.S. National Stage Filing under 35 U.S.C. 371from International Patent Application Serial No. PCT/US2012/035568,filed Apr. 27, 2012, published on Nov. 1, 2012 as WO 2012/149400 A2,which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.61/481,024, filed Apr. 29, 2011, both of which are incorporated hereinby reference in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments pertain to wireless networks and wireless networkcommunications facilitated by various devices and systems. Someembodiments relate to trusted connections established within wirelessnetworks by associated devices and systems.

BACKGROUND

As the use of mobile wireless devices, such as smart phones and tabletdevices, becomes more ubiquitous, the demands on the limited amount ofradio frequency spectrum used by those devices has increased, resultingin wireless network congestion and reduced bandwidth for devicesoperating in the licensed spectrum. A variety of techniques have beenintroduced to provide additional bandwidth, including data offloadingfrom a Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN) to other networks such asanother WWAN or a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN). For example, datamay be offloaded from a 3G or 4G WWAN operating in accordance with astandard from the 3GPP standards family, to a Wi-Fi WLAN operating inaccordance with a standard from the 802.11 standards family.

With existing data offloading techniques provided with use of some 3GPPwireless network standards, and in other settings, a WLAN access networkis treated as an untrusted access network. This causes WLAN access toattach to a 3GPP Evolved Packet Core (EPC) using an Evolved Packet DataGateway (ePDG). An additional Internet Protocol Security (IPSec) tunnelalso may need to be established between the mobile device and the ePDG.This causes extra tunneling and encryption overhead for allcommunication between the mobile wireless device and the 3GPP EPC.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A illustrates an example configuration of an untrusted WLANattached to a 3GPP EPC using an S2b interface operable in connectionwith some examples.

FIG. 1B illustrates an example configuration of a trusted WLAN attachedto a 3GPP EPC using an S2a interface operable in connection with someexamples.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example functional model for a trusted WLAN accessnetwork used in connection with some examples.

FIG. 3A illustrates an example format of an Access Network QueryProtocol (ANQP) element used in connection with some examples.

FIG. 3B illustrates an example data structure of a trusted WLANcontainer provided in an ANQP element used in connection with someexamples.

FIG. 3C illustrates an example data structure of a Public Land MobileNetwork (PLMN) List information element used in connection with someexamples.

FIG. 3D illustrates an example structure of a PLMN information portionof a PLMN List information element used in connection with someexamples.

FIG. 4 illustrates example operations performed for establishing atrusted attachment among a UE, WLAN, and a 3GPP EPC in connection withsome examples.

FIG. 5 illustrates example operations performed for an additional PacketData Network (PDN) connection establishment procedure in connection withsome examples.

FIG. 6 illustrates a flowchart of an example method for establishing aconnection between a 3GPP EPC and a UE via a trusted WLAN in connectionwith some examples.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example mobile device that may be used inconnection with the configurations and techniques described herein.

FIG. 8 illustrates an example computer system that may be used as acomputing platform for the computing devices described herein.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

The following description and the drawings sufficiently illustratespecific embodiments to enable those skilled in the art to practicethem. Other embodiments may incorporate structural, logical, electrical,process, and other changes. Portions and features of some embodimentsmay be included in, or substituted for, those of other embodiments.Embodiments set forth in the claims encompass all available equivalentsof those claims.

Various techniques and configurations provided herein describe amechanism by which a mobile device can attach to a 3GPP EPC using a WLANas a trusted access network. In some examples, this removes the use ofan intermediate ePDG entity and also removes the extra tunneling andencryption overhead from WLAN communications. This enables a WLAN accessnetwork to be treated similar to other non-3GPP trusted access networkssuch as a CDMA High Rate Packet Data (HRPD) network, a WiMAX (e.g., IEEEstandard 802.16) network, and the like.

Additionally, techniques provided herein describe a mechanism tocommunicate an Access Point Name (APN) and other NAS (Non-AccessStratum) parameters and configuration options when the mobile device isconnecting/attaching to 3GPP core, with the use of signaling messages.These signaling messages may be communicated between user equipment (UE)such as a mobile wireless device and components of a WLAN Access Networksuch as a Wi-Fi access point or access controller (AP/AC). In oneexample embodiment, the signaling messages are provided according tocommunications using IEEE standard 802.11u-2011. Such a signalingmessage mechanism is extensible and can be used to carry additionalinformation elements and fields. Further, the parameters for theinformation elements and fields may be defined for both trusted anduntrusted attachment.

With existing techniques, a WLAN is unable to be established as atrusted access network to a 3GPP EPC. In some example embodimentsdescribed herein, IEEE 802.11u ANQP (Access Network Query Protocol)extensions are used to provide various data structures and to exchangeinformation. The ANQP extensions accordingly may be used forestablishing a trusted attachment between the UE and WLAN accessnetwork, and authenticate with elements of the 3GPP EPC such as a packetdata network gateway (PDN-GW) and an authentication and authorizationsystem (AAA) server. This information can be exchanged either prior toassociation with the WLAN access network or after association/connectionestablishment. A container that may be used for such an informationexchange may be provided by definitions of the IEEE standard802.11u-2011 or another standard from the IEEE 802.11 standards family.The contents of this container are extensible and may be further definedby a wireless network specification, for example, a 3GPP WWANspecification (such as 3GPP Release 11 and beyond).

WLAN access networks have evolved with development of IEEE standardamendments 802.11i, 802.1x, 802.11u, and the Wi-Fi Alliance Hotspot 2.0standard and certification program. For example, a WLAN access networkmay implement IEEE 802.11i and IEEE 802.1x (e.g., Wi-Fi Protected Access(WPA2) Enterprise class) based security mechanisms, as use of a IEEE802.11u standard implementation provides mechanisms that can assist theprocess of Access Network Discovery and Selection. To proceed withestablishment of a trusted access network, the UE may be authenticatedwith the 3GPP network using Extensible Authentication Protocol Methodfor UMTS Authentication and Key Agreement (EAP-AKA) over a STa interfacewith a trusted WLAN access network. The techniques described hereinprovide additional detail on these and similar mechanisms that may beused in an authentication and connection establishment process with atrusted WLAN access network.

FIG. 1A provides an illustration of an example configuration 100A of anUntrusted WLAN 124 attached to a 3GPP EPC operable in connection withsome examples described herein. FIG. 1A illustrates a number ofcomponents used to provide network connectivity with UE 114, including aLTE-Uu interface to an E-UTRAN network 112, and a connection with the3GPP EPC through Untrusted WLAN 124, as described in the followingparagraphs.

The back-end system architecture of the 3GPP EPC includes componentssuch as one or more mobile management entity (MME) 108 connected to theE-UTRAN using an S1-MME interface (with multiple MMEs that may beconnected using a S10 interface); a Serving Gateway 116 connected to theE-UTRAN using an S1-U interface; a S11 interface between the MME 108 andthe Serving Gateway 116; a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) 110 connected tothe MME 108 with a S6a interface; and an 2G/3G Serving GPRS Support Node(SGSN) 106 used to facilitate UTRAN 102 (e.g., UTMS) and GERAN 104(e.g., GSM) networks, connected to the MME 108 with a S3 interface andconnected to the Serving Gateway 116 using S4 and S12 interfaces. TheServing Gateway 116 is further connected to a Packet Data NetworkGateway (PDN-GW) 118 using an S5 interface, while the PDN gateway 118 isconnected using a Gx interface to a Policy and Charging Rules Function(PCRF) node 120. Various Operator Services 122 (such as an IP MultimediaSubsystem (IMS) and the Internet) are connected to the PCRF 120 and thePDN Gateway 118 using Rx and SGi interfaces respectively.

The 3GPP EPC performs various operations or verifications to determinewhether an access network may be attached as a trusted network. Forexample, in 3GPP Version 11 (LTE-A) technical specification (TS) 24.302,the Home Public Land Mobile Network (HPLMN) operator of the 3GPP EPCdetermines whether a connected non-3GPP IP access network is a trustedor untrusted IP access network.

For attachment of an untrusted non-3GPP IP access network, thecommunication between the UE 114 and the non-3GPP IP access network isnot considered to be secure. To provide communications over an untrustednon-3GPP IP access network to a 3GPP EPC using existing techniques, anIPSec tunnel would be established with the 3GPP on a per access basis,as needed, to secure communications. As shown in FIG. 1A, this mayresult in increased tunneling and encryption overhead for allcommunications between the UE 114 and the 3GPP EPC occurring through theUntrusted WLAN 124.

FIG. 1A illustrates an IPSec connection 126 with the 3GPP EPCestablished among the UE 114, an Untrusted WLAN 124, and an ePDG 128. Toestablish a connection between a UE 114 and the 3GPP EPC using theUntrusted WLAN 124, the Untrusted WLAN 124 is connected to the ePDG 128using an SWn interface, which facilitates the IPSec connection 126between the UE 114 and the ePDG 128. The ePDG 128, which is connected tothe PDN Gateway 118, further requires use of a PMIP6/GTP tunnel 130 overan S2b interface. Thus, the Untrusted WLAN 124 connects to the PDN-GW118 using the ePDG 128 as an intermediary, because the Untrusted WLAN124 is considered as an untrusted or insecure attachment.

Using the techniques and configurations provided by some exampleembodiments, a WLAN access network may be considered as trusted by the3GPP EPC. Various mechanisms may be used to configure security among thecommunications of the UE, WLAN, and 3GPP EPC. For example, the UE mayuse IEEE 802.11i and IEEE 802.1x (aka WPA2 Enterprise class in WFA)based security mechanisms to secure the connection between the UE andthe WLAN. IEEE standard 802.11u defines mechanisms for Access NetworkDiscovery and Selection, including ANQP extensions for exchanginginformation. Further, the UE may be authenticated with the WLAN and the3GPP EPC using EAP-AKA methods. With these authentication methods, useof an ePDG is not required, and WLAN access by a UE can be considered asa trusted access by the 3GPP EPC.

FIG. 1B illustrates an example configuration 100B of a Trusted WLAN 134attached components of to a 3GPP EPC using an S2a interface, withsimilar numbered elements as FIG. 1A. In this scenario, the Trusted WLAN134 connects to the PDN-GW 118 directly, using a PMIP6/GTP Tunnel 132,as the Trusted WLAN 134 is established as a trusted access network bythe 3GPP EPC. The UE 114 or any other UE may connect to the 3GPP EPCusing the Trusted WLAN 134 (the connection with UE 114 not shown).

Upon attachment of a trusted non-3GPP IP access network, thecommunication between any UE and the non-3GPP access network isconsidered to be secure. Thus there is no use for operations at the ePDG128 (or another security gateway), avoiding increased tunneling orencryption overhead to facilitate communication between UEs and the 3GPPEPC. The S2a interface can support either PMIP6 or GTP options formobility management.

As further described herein, the Trusted WLAN 134 may employ variousauthentication techniques and communications with the 3GPP EPC andconnected UEs to establish trusted communications (which may be requiredfor recognition as a trusted access network). The Trusted WLAN 134 mayemploy IEEE 802.11i and IEEE 802.1x based security mechanisms, and theUE may employ WPA2 Enterprise class security mechanisms. IEEE 802.11umechanisms may be used for Network Discovery and Selection. For example,IEEE 802.11u based ANQP and HotSpot 2.0 based extensions may allow theUE to exchange information with the 3GPP EPC to establish the trustedcommunication. The UE may be authenticated with the 3GPP EPC usingEAP-AKA, EAP-AKA Prime (EAP-AKA′) or EAP for GSM Subscriber Identity(EAP-SIM) methods.

FIG. 2 illustrates a functional model 200 for establishing access via aTrusted WLAN Access Network 202 according to one example embodiment. Asillustrated, the UE 208 is configured to establish a connection to theTrusted WLAN Access Network 202, and exchange information with theTrusted WLAN Access Network 202 via ANQP extensions. The Trusted WLANAccess Network 202 may include one or more Access Points (APs) 204, andan Access Controller (AC) 206. For example, the Trusted WLAN AccessNetwork 202 may be provided as a Wi-Fi network operating according to astandard from the IEEE 802.11 standards family.

The Trusted WLAN Access Network 202 may establish authentication andcommunication links with one or more components of a 3GPP EPC. Forexample, the Trusted WLAN Access Network 202 may use an S2a interfacewith the Packet Data Network Gateway (PDN-GW) 210, to exchange datacommunications with either the APs 204 or the AC 206. The Trusted WLANAccess Network 202 may use a STa interface for authentication andauthorization communications, for example, to communicate with an AAA212 of the 3GPP EPC.

The UE 208 and Trusted WLAN Access Network 202 may specify additionalparameters when attaching to the 3GPP EPC using the S2a interface andthe STa interface. These parameters may be provided using a Trusted WLANcontainer as explained in the following paragraphs and illustrated inFIG. 3B, or provided by other data containers or formats. The parametersalso may be used to indicate additional signaling capabilities over theWLAN air-interface. For example, the parameters may include thefollowing:

-   -   An indication of the Access Point Name (APN) network identifier        of the Packet Data Network (PDN) that the UE intends to connect        to.    -   An indication of the type of addressing the UE supports (e.g.,        IPv4, IPv6, or IPv4v6). A PDN-GW (not shown) in the EPC can use        this indication to allocate bearers accordingly.    -   An indication of whether the connection between the UE and the        3GPP EPC is being established over initial attach or upon        handover of a PDN connection from a 3GPP access network to a        trusted WLAN access network through an S2a interface. If the        connection is occurring upon handover, the UE may provide the        IPv4 address or IPv6 prefix that the UE was using prior to        handover. If the connection is occurring as an initial attach,        then an IP address may be allocated.

IP Address allocation to UEs connecting through a trusted WLAN may beconfigured to follow standard procedures for establishing trustednon-3GPP access. For example, in 3GPP LTE networks, this may implementenhancement standards for non-3GPP access such as defined in TS 23.402.Further, certain Protocol Configuration Options such as deferred IPAllocation may be enabled.

Extensions to Access Network Query Protocol (ANQP)

IEEE standard 802.11u-2011 defines ANQP and the use of this protocol fordiscovery of external networks and their properties. ANQP can be used toexchange information over an IEEE 802.11-standard link layer in a securemanner. This information may be exchanged to establish a WLAN accessnetworks as a trusted network with a 3GPP EPC, and to authenticatedevices connected to such a trusted network. As one example of ANQPusage, IEEE standard 802.11u defines an ANQP-based Information Element3GPP Cellular Network Information which may serve as a generic containerand provide cellular information such as list of PLMNs, to assistWLAN-enabled UEs in a selection of 3GPP networks.

While the Access Network Discovery and Selection Function (ANDSF) may beused to provide operator policies related to non-3GPP accesses of theWLAN to the UE, ANQP can provide parameter values that can be used bythe UE while taking action based on policies provided by ANDSF.Therefore, the contents of the 3GPP Cellular Network Informationcontainer may be extended by 3GPP standards to include parameters toenable a trusted WLAN to attach to a 3GPP EPC. Additionally, a newcontainer may also be defined for trusted WLAN attachment to a 3GPP EPCand to extend the list of information elements supported by ANQP.

In connection with some embodiments, ANQP is used to provide extensionsincluding new elements that support Wi-Fi Alliance Hotspot 2.0 features.These elements are defined for use in infrastructure base stationsubsystems (BSSs) only. Therefore, for the elements defined as part ofANQP extensions, the requesting UE (e.g., the STA Wi-Fi network client)is always a non-AP UE and the responding UE is always an AP.

ANQP elements, as illustrated in FIG. 3A, may be defined to have acommon format providing an Info ID field, a length field, and a variablelength element-specific information field. Further, each ANQP element isassigned a unique Info ID. The IEEE 802.11 ANA (Assigned NumbersAuthority) has allocated a block of 32 ANQP Info IDs that are assignedto new ANQP elements. Table 1, illustrated below, illustrates theseelements and ID values.

TABLE 1 ANQP Element Name Info ID Value Operator Friendly Name <IEEE802.11 ANA> Hotspot WAN Metrics <IEEE 802.11 ANA+1> Hotspot FirewallPort <IEEE 802.11 ANA+2> Configuration Query Trusted WLAN Container<IEEE 802.11 ANA+3> Reserved <IEEE 802.11 ANA+4 to ANA+31>

ANQP Element Format

FIG. 3A illustrates an example format of an ANQP element used inconnection with some example embodiments. ANQP element 300A may bedefined to have a common format providing a 2-octet Info ID field 302, a2-octet Length field 304, and a variable-length element-specific payloadinformation field 306. The Info ID field 302 is equal to the value inTable 1 above corresponding to the ANQP element identifier. The Lengthfield 304 is a 2-octet field and has a value representing the length ofthe Payload Information field 306.

The Payload Information field 306 provides a generic container whosecontent may be defined by a protocol specification, such as a 3GPPspecification. The following section provides one such example containerfor inclusion in an ANQP Payload Information field, referred to as a“Trusted WLAN Container.”

Definition of Trusted WLAN Container ANQP Element

FIG. 3B illustrates the general structure of an example Trusted WLANContainer. The Trusted WLAN Container 300B is an ANQP element containinginformation that allows a trusted WLAN access network to connect to the3GPP Enhanced Packet Core (EPC). This includes information such as theAPN the UE wants to connect to, whether access is to be obtained to theInternet directly or to the EPC, the PDN-GW Type, the User Identifier(IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity)/TMSI (Temporary MobileSubscriber Identity)), and the like.

A Version field 308 defines the version of the Trusted WLAN Container.For example, a value of “00000000” may designate Version 1, while values00000001 through 11111111 may be reserved or assigned for otherpurposes.

A Header Length field 310 may define the number of octets after theHeader Length in the Trusted WLAN Container.

An Information Element Identifier (IEI) field (provided in IEI1 field312, IEIn-1 field 314, and IEIn field 316) may define the informationelement contents. For example:

00000000 APN

00000001 PDN Type

00000010 Access Type

00000011 NAI

00000100 SIPTO/LIPA Permissions

00000101 Support for online charging

00000110 FQDN of OCS entity

00000111 Protocol Configuration Options

00001000 Attach Type

00001001 through 11111111 Reserved

For each of the IEIs, the first octet is the IE identifier, this isfollowed by the length of the IEI and then any other IEI specificfields. The IEI specific fields may include:

APN. This specifies the Access Point Name the user wants to connect to.

PDN Type. This specifies the type of addressing supported by the UE,e.g., IPv4/IPv6/IPv4v6. The PDN-GW allocates bearers accordingly.

Access Type. This specifies the access type. The user may obtain DirectInternet access, or the user could get access to the 3GPP EPC and otherservices in the operator domain.

NAI. This specifies the Network Access Identifier used for authorizingthe user.

SIPTO (Selected IP Traffic Offloading)/LIPA (Local IP Access)Permissions. This specifies if the UE has permissions for local IPaccess or for selected IP traffic offloading.

Support for Online Charging. This provides an indication if the trustedWLAN needs to support online charging interactions for the UE.

Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) of Online Charging Server (OCS)entity. This is the address of the OCS entity in case the trusted WLANaccess needs to support online charging interactions.

Protocol Configuration Options. This may provide a container that couldinclude options such as deferred IP Allocation. Other options defined bya 3GPP specification may also be used.

Attach Type. This may indicate if the connection is an initial attach ora handover attach.

Reserved: For Future use. Other parameters may be added.

PLMN List Information Element

FIG. 3C illustrates an example data structure 300C of a Public LandMobile Network (PLMN) List information element used in connection withsome examples. The PLMN List information element may be communicatedamong the network to indicate PLMNs that can be selected from the WLAN.The PLMN List information elements are used to provide PLMN identifiers.The data structure 300C may be communicated using ANQP between a UE andTrusted WLAN Access Network during establishment of the trustedconnection with the UE, for example to identify which 3GPP networks areavailable for connection through the WLAN Access Network.

FIG. 3D illustrates an example data structure 300D of a PLMN informationportion of a PLMN List information element used in connection with someexamples. As shown in FIG. 3C, the “Number of PLMNs” (octet 3) containsthe number of PLMN information items in the list. Bit 8 of octet 3 isthe most significant bit and bit 1 of octet 3 the least significant bit.Coding of PLMN information for each PLMN List information element mayinclude the following:

MCC, Mobile Country Code (octet x+1 for digits 1 and 2, octet x+2 bits 1to 4 for digit 3 (e.g., extending to the 4 least significant bit portion322 in FIG. 3D)) The MCC field may be coded in accordance with standardsprovided by ITU-T Rec. E212, Annex A.

MNC, Mobile Network Code (octet x+3 for digits 1 and 2, octet x+2 bits 5to 8 for digit 3 (e.g., extending to the 4 most significant bit portion320 in FIG. 3D)). The coding of this field is the responsibility of eachadministration but Binary-coded decimal (BCD) coding is used. The MNCmay include 2 or 3 digits. For PCS1900 for North America, certainFederal regulations mandate that a 3-digit MNC be used. However anetwork operator may decide to use only two digits in the MNC over theradio interface. In this case, bits 5 to 8 of octet x+2 shall be codedas “1111”. Mobile equipment may be configured to accept MNC coded insuch a way.

Example Connection Establishment Operations

FIG. 4 illustrates example operations 400 performed for establishing atrusted network attachment among a UE 402, a WLAN Access Network 404,and components of a 3GPP EPC in connection with some exampleembodiments. As illustrated, the components of the 3GPP EPC involved inthe trusted attachment operations may include a PCRF node 406, a PDN-GW408, an AAA Server 410, and an HSS 412, although additional, fewer, orsubstitute components may also be involved a trusted network attachment.

As illustrated, an ANQP element 414 providing a container including alisting of PLMNs may be communicated and exchanged between the UE 402and the WLAN Access Network 404. Alternatively, the informationcommunicated via ANQP may be provided using other techniques andcommunication (for example, using DHCP or EAP, as later discussed). Asshown in operation 416, the UE uses the container within an ANQP Queryto request a list of PLMNs supported by the WLAN Access Network, and theWLAN Access Network returns in the container a list of PLMNs supportedin the ANQP Response based on static configuration. The format of thiscontainer may be specified by a network communication specification (forexample, a 3GPP Cellular Network Information container defined by anIEEE 802.11u standard).

As illustrated, an ANQP element 418 providing a container includingconnection parameters for UE connection with a 3GPP EPC may becommunicated and exchanged between the UE 402 and the WLAN AccessNetwork 404. As shown in operation 420, the UE uses the container withinan ANQP Query to communicate connectivity information to the WLAN AccessNetwork 404. The format of this container may be specified by a networkcommunication specification (for example, a trusted WLAN containerdefined by an IEEE 802.11u standard).

Based on the information received from the ANQP Query Response, the UE402 may determine whether to perform an association with the 3GPP EPCthrough the WLAN Access Network 404. In response to a determination toproceed, an association command in operation 422 is provided from the UE402 to the WLAN Access Network 404.

Alternatively, other network communication protocols may be used tocommunicate connection parameters for UE connection with the 3GPP EPC,without use of ANQP messages. In one example, additional or substituteparameters may be sent through one or more EAP messages, such as beingincluded within the authentication and authorization message exchange ofoperation 424 described below. As another example, further describedbelow, one or more DHCP messages may be used to exchange attachmentparameters as described for operations 436 and 444 described below.

Returning to use of ANQP-communicated parameters depicted in FIG. 4, inoperation 424, the WLAN Access Network 404 proceeds with authenticationand authorization operations among the UE 402, the WLAN Access Network404, and the 3GPP EPC. For example, the entities may perform various802.11 and 3GPP standard security exchanges, such as having the UE 402send EAP Request/Identity and the WLAN Access Network 404 reply with EAPResponse/Identity. Further, the WLAN Access Network 404 may send anAuthentication Request message to the AAA server 410 with the NAI of theUE, the VPLMN-id, the WLAN Access identity and the MAC address of the UE402 to the AAA Server 410 as well as an indication whether the WLANAccess Network 404 supports access to the 3GPP EPC or only provides adirect access to Internet. The message may be routed via one or severalAAA proxies. The AAA server 410 may obtain security material andauthorization data from the HSS 412. Further EAP-AKA exchanges may beexecuted per 3GPP specifications. For example, the AAA Server 410 maysend an EAP Success message to the WLAN Access Network 404 that includesthe WLAN keying material (“Pairwise Master Key”) and adds Authorizationdata for the UE 402 in the AAA underlying message.

In operation 426, the WLAN Access Network 404 may store the WLAN keyingmaterial to be used in communication with the authenticated UE. Inoperation 428, the WLAN access network informs the UE 402 about thesuccessful authentication with an EAP Success message.

In operation 430, the WLAN Access Network 404 and the UE 402 perform a4-Way handshake per an 802.11 security procedure (e.g., an 802.11iprocedure) and derive session keys to secure the 802.11 link. Uponestablishment of the link, network information may be exchanged with theUE, for example in a Generic Container.

As depicted in operation 432, the UE 402 uses the Generic Container overthe now-secured 802.11 link to provide attachment parameters to the WLANAccess Network 404. Attachment parameters may include the preferred APN,PDN Type, Attach Type and other protocol configuration options. This maybe provided in an ANQP query in operation 434. Alternatively, networkinformation exchanged between the UE 402 and the WLAN Access Network 404in operation 432 may be provided from communications using othercommunication protocols, such as DHCP or EAP. If using DHCP, theadditional parameters may be sent in a DHCP Request message as inoperation 436, without use of an ANQP query as in operation 434 or anANQP response in operation 446.

In some embodiments, the WLAN Access Network 404 may send an ANQPresponse back to the UE 402 (not shown) with a delay indicating that theUE 402 needs to come back and query for the response at a later time.The delay interval may be in seconds. After the delay interval haspassed, the UE 402 (e.g., the STA) may send an ANQP Comeback Request tothe WLAN Access Network 404 requesting the response to the query.

At least two alternative operations may be used to obtain an IP addressfor the UE 402. The first set of operations to obtain an IP address,illustrated in FIG. 4, illustrates use of a DHCP request in operation436, in addition to the ANQP query in operation 434. For example, afterthe ANQP query of operation 434, the UE 402 sends a DHCP request inoperation 436 to the WLAN Access Network 404 over the secured 802.11link. As explained below, this triggers IP connectivity establishmentprocedures in the network, which results in the IP address response ofoperation 444.

A second set of alternative operations to obtain an IP address, notfully illustrated in FIG. 4, relies on use of the ANQP query to obtainan IP address for the UE 402. Thus, the DHCP request of operation 436 isnot performed, but instead DHCP or other IP address request parametersare carried inside of the ANQP query as in operation 434. This triggerssimilar IP connectivity establishment procedures in the networks, toresult in an IP address response being returned in the ANQP response asin operation 446.

In operation 438, the IP connectivity establishment operations mayresult in the WLAN Access Network 404 sending an IP request to thePDN-GW 408. For example, the WLAN Access Network 404 may send a ProxyBinding Update message to the PDN-GW 408 if S2a interface is PMIP-based,or may send a GTP Create Bearer Request message if the S2a interface isGTP-based. In operation 440, the PDN-GW 408 may allocate an IPv4 addressor IPv6 prefix based on the PDN type to the UE 402 per 3GPP procedures.In operation 442, the WLAN Access Network 404 may receive an IP responsefrom the PDN-GW 408. For example, the PDN-GW 408 may send a ProxyBinding Ack message to the WLAN Access Network 404 if the S2a interfaceis PMIP-based or a GTP Create Bearer Response message if the S2ainterface is GTP-based.

In operation 444, the WLAN Access Network 404 may send the IP addressallocated by the PDN-GW 408 to the UE 402 via DHCP Response message. Insome further embodiments, the IP Address allocated may be provided in anANQP element such as a generic container. This may remove the use ofseparate DHCP request/response messages to allocate an IP Address.

The WLAN Access Network 404 may use a generic container over the secure802.11 link to send additional configuration parameters to the UE. Thismay include the selected APN and any Protocol Configuration Optionsspecified by the PDN-GW 408. Thus, additional ANQP communications may beexchanged between the UE 402 and the WLAN Access Network 404. The ANQPResponse in operation 446 may be sent in response to the ANQP query inoperation 434.

Upon successful attachment of the WLAN Access Network 404 and connectionestablishment with the UE 402, the UE 402 may send and receive IPTraffic in operation 448 over the secured WLAN link with the WLAN AccessNetwork 404, and use the established PMIP/GTP tunnel to communicatefurther with the 3GPP EPC.

FIG. 5 illustrates operations performed for an additional PDN connectionestablishment procedure in connection with some example embodiments.Specifically, the following operations may be used when an existingGTP/PMIP tunnel 520 exists between the trusted WLAN access network(provided by a WiFi AP/AC 504) and the 3GPP EPC (provided by PDN-GW506). The existing GTP/PMIP tunnel results from an initial attachment518 from the UE 502 to the PDN-GW 506 of the 3GPP EPC network(facilitated through the connection of the UE 502 with the Wi-Fi AP/AC504).

As illustrated, the additional PDN connection establishment procedure isprovided through use of an ANQP query 522, which may include APN,attachment type, PCO, and like values. This results in conducting theGTP/PMIP tunneling procedure 524 (e.g., using select of the proceduresillustrated in FIG. 4) among the Wi-Fi AP/AC 504 and components of the3GPP EPC (such as the PDN-GW 506, a PDN-GW 2 508, a vPCRF 510, an AAAProxy 512, an hPCRF 514, or an HSS/AAA 516).

An ANQP response 526, which may include an IP address and otherinformation for connection of the UE, such as a mobile station (MS) 502,is communicated from the Wi-Fi AP/AC 504 to the MS 502. Accordingly,upon successful establishment of the GTP/PMIP Tunneling Procedure 524, anew GTP/PMIP tunnel 530 will exist in addition to the Existing GTP/PMIPTunnel 520.

FIG. 6 illustrates a flowchart of an example method 600 for establishinga trusted connection between a 3GPP EPC and an UE connected to a WLAN inconnection with some example embodiments. Although the operations ofmethod 600 are depicted in sequence, it will be understood that thissequence is provided for illustration of one example method, andvariations to the sequence may occur. This may include additional,fewer, or substituted operations, or a different order than depicted.For example, based on the network configuration, certain configurationparameters may not need to be exchanged; and likewise alternateoperations may be used to facilitate authentication or attachment of theWLAN or devices connected through the WLAN.

As illustrated, one or more containers may be used for exchangingnetwork information (operation 602) in ANQP communications between theUE and the WLAN. The communications may include an ANQP elementproviding a container with a PLMN listing (for example, as illustratedin FIGS. 3C and 3D), or an ANQP element providing a Trusted WLANContainer (for example, as illustrated in FIG. 3B) including networkconnectivity information such as connection parameters.

Based on the information exchanged with the one or more containers,various network authentication and authorization operations may beperformed among the UE, WLAN, and 3GPP EPC (operation 604). This may befollowed by operations to secure the trusted WLAN link (operation 606),for example, by performing an IEEE standard 802.11i-2004 (WPA2) 4-Wayhandshake for a Wi-Fi connection and deriving session keys to secure theWi-Fi connection.

One or more ANQP elements providing a container may be used to exchangenetwork attachment parameters (operation 608). Operations may beconducted between the WLAN and the 3GPP EPC to establish IP connectivityfor the UE (operation 610), for example through use of a DHCP requestand response for a dynamic IP address.

Additionally, one or more ANQP elements providing a container may beused to exchange additional configuration parameters as necessary forestablishing UE and trusted network communications (operation 612). Uponsuccessful security and IP connectivity establishment among the UE, thenow-trusted WLAN, and the 3GPP EPC, IP traffic is communicated using theconnections (operation 614).

Although several of the described example embodiments were included withreference to the use of 3GPP standard wireless network implementations,it will be understood that the present techniques may be implemented inconnection with a variety of other wireless wide area network standards,such as WiMAX, CDMA2000, EV-DO, and other 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G-standardWWAN protocols and devices. Likewise, although several of the describedexample embodiments were included with reference to the use of Wi-Fi andWLAN communication standards from the IEEE 802.11 standards family, thepresent techniques may be implemented in connection with a variety ofother wireless local area network standards and protocols. Therefore,the terms “WWAN,” “WLAN,” and “wireless network” as used herein are notnecessarily intended to be limiting to the use of any particular networkprotocol, but may also include a variety of wireless protocols anddevices communicating via such wireless protocols.

As described herein, various methods or techniques, or certain aspectsor portions thereof, may take the form of program code (i.e.,instructions) embodied in tangible media, such as flash memory,CD/DVD-ROMs, hard drives, portable storage devices, or any othermachine-readable storage medium wherein, when the program code is loadedinto and executed by a machine, such as a computer, the machine becomesan apparatus for practicing the various techniques. In the case ofprogram code execution on programmable computers, the computing devicemay include a processor, a storage medium readable by the processor(including volatile and non-volatile memory and/or storage elements), atleast one input device, and at least one output device. One or moreprograms that may implement or utilize the various techniques describedherein may use an application programming interface (API), reusablecontrols, and the like. Such programs may be implemented in a high levelprocedural or object oriented programming language to communicate with acomputer system. However, the program(s) may be implemented in assemblyor machine language, if desired. In any case, the language may be acompiled or interpreted language, and combined with hardwareimplementations.

FIG. 7 provides an example illustration of a mobile device 700, such asa user equipment (UE), a mobile station (MS), a mobile wireless device,a mobile communication device, a tablet, a handset, or other type ofmobile wireless device. The mobile device may include one or moreantennas 708 configured to communicate with a base station (BS), anevolved Node B (eNB), other type of wireless wide area network (WWAN)access point, or other network equipment (NE). The mobile device may beconfigured to communicate using at least one wireless communicationstandard including 3GPP LTE, WiMAX, High Speed Packet Access (HSPA),Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi. The mobile device 700 may communicate usingseparate antennas for each wireless communication standard or sharedantennas for multiple wireless communication standards. The mobiledevice may communicate in a wireless local area network (WLAN), awireless personal area network (WPAN), and/or a wireless wide areanetwork (WWAN).

FIG. 7 also provides an illustration of a microphone 720 and one or morespeakers 712 that may be used for audio input and output from the mobiledevice 700. The display screen 704 may be a liquid crystal display (LCD)screen, or other type of display screen such as an organic lightemitting diode (OLED) display. The display screen 704 may be configuredas a touch screen. The touch screen may use capacitive, resistive, oranother type of touch screen technology. An application processor 714and a graphics processor 718 may be coupled to internal memory 716 toprovide processing and display capabilities. A non-volatile memory port710 may also be used to provide data input/output options to a user. Thenon-volatile memory port 710 may also be used to expand the memorycapabilities of the mobile device 700. A keyboard 706 may be integratedwith the mobile device 700 or wirelessly connected to the mobile device700 to provide additional user input. A virtual keyboard may also beprovided using the touch screen.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating an example computer systemmachine upon which any one or more of the methodologies herein discussedmay be run. Computer system 800 may be embodied as a computing device,the mobile device 700, mobile and non-mobile user equipment, WLANequipment and devices, 3GPP network devices or equipment, or any othercomputing platform described or referred to herein. In alternativeembodiments, the machine operates as a standalone device or may beconnected (e.g., networked) to other machines. In a networkeddeployment, the machine may operate in the capacity of either a serveror a client machine in server-client network environments, or it may actas a peer machine in peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environments.The machine may be a personal computer (PC) that may or may not beportable (e.g., a notebook or a netbook), a tablet, a set-top box (STB),a gaming console, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a mobile telephoneor smartphone, a web appliance, a network router, switch or bridge, orany machine capable of executing instructions (sequential or otherwise)that specify actions to be taken by that machine. Further, while only asingle machine is illustrated, the term “machine” shall also be taken toinclude any collection of machines that individually or jointly executea set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform any one or more ofthe methodologies discussed herein.

Example computer system 800 includes a processor 802 (e.g., a centralprocessing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU) or both), a mainmemory 804 and a static memory 806, which communicate with each othervia an interconnect 808 (e.g., a link, a bus, etc.). The computer system800 may further include a video display unit 810, an alphanumeric inputdevice 812 (e.g., a keyboard), and a user interface (UI) navigationdevice 814 (e.g., a mouse). In one embodiment, the video display unit810, input device 812 and UI navigation device 814 are a touch screendisplay. The computer system 800 may additionally include a storagedevice 816 (e.g., a drive unit), a signal generation device 818 (e.g., aspeaker), and a network interface device 820 (which may include oroperably communicate with one or more antennas 828, transceivers, orother wireless communications hardware), and one or more sensors (notshown), such as a global positioning system (GPS) sensor, compass,location sensor, accelerometer, or other sensor.

The storage device 816 includes a machine-readable medium 822 on whichis stored one or more sets of data structures and instructions 824(e.g., software) embodying or utilized by any one or more of themethodologies or functions described herein. The instructions 824 mayalso reside, completely or at least partially, within the main memory804, static memory 806, and/or within the processor 802 during executionthereof by the computer system 800. The main memory 804, static memory806, and the processor 802 also constitute machine-readable media.

While the machine-readable medium 822 is illustrated in an exampleembodiment to be a single medium, the term “machine-readable medium” mayinclude a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized ordistributed database, and/or associated caches and servers) that storethe one or more instructions 824. The term “machine-readable medium”shall also be taken to include any tangible medium that is capable ofstoring, encoding or carrying instructions for execution by the machineand that cause the machine to perform any one or more of themethodologies of the present disclosure or that is capable of storing,encoding or carrying data structures utilized by or associated with suchinstructions. The term “machine-readable medium” shall accordingly betaken to include, but not be limited to, solid-state memories, andoptical and magnetic media. Specific examples of machine-readable mediainclude non-volatile memory, including, by way of example, semiconductormemory devices (e.g., Electrically Programmable Read-Only Memory(EPROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM))and flash memory devices; magnetic disks such as internal hard disks andremovable disks; magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks.

The instructions 824 may further be transmitted or received over acommunications network 826 using a transmission medium via the networkinterface device 820 utilizing any one of a number of well-knowntransfer protocols (e.g., HTTP). Examples of communication networksinclude a local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), theInternet, mobile telephone networks, Plain Old Telephone (POTS)networks, and wireless data networks (e.g., Wi-Fi, 3G, and 4G LTE/LTE-Aor WiMAX networks). The term “transmission medium” shall be taken toinclude any intangible medium that is capable of storing, encoding, orcarrying instructions for execution by the machine, and includes digitalor analog communications signals or other intangible medium tofacilitate communication of such software.

Other applicable network configurations may be included within the scopeof the presently described communication networks. Although exampleswere provided with reference to a wireless local area networkconfiguration and a wireless wide area network configuration, it will beunderstood that communications may also be facilitated using any numberof personal area networks, LANs, and WANs, using any combination ofwired or wireless transmission mediums.

The embodiments described above may be implemented in one or acombination of hardware, firmware, and software. Embodiments may also beimplemented as instructions stored on a computer-readable storagedevice, which may be read and executed by at least one processor toperform the operations described herein. A computer-readable storagedevice may include any non-transitory mechanism for storing informationin a form readable by a machine (e.g., a computer). For example, acomputer-readable storage device may include read-only memory (ROM),random-access memory (RAM), magnetic disk storage media, optical storagemedia, flash-memory devices, and other storage devices and media.

It should be understood that the functional units or capabilitiesdescribed in this specification may have been referred to or labeled ascomponents or modules, in order to more particularly emphasize theirimplementation independence. For example, a component or module may beimplemented as a hardware circuit comprising custom VLSI circuits orgate arrays, off-the-shelf semiconductors such as logic chips,transistors, or other discrete components. A component or module mayalso be implemented in programmable hardware devices such as fieldprogrammable gate arrays, programmable array logic, programmable logicdevices, or the like. Components or modules may also be implemented insoftware for execution by various types of processors. An identifiedcomponent or module of executable code may, for instance, comprise oneor more physical or logical blocks of computer instructions, which may,for instance, be organized as an object, procedure, or function.Nevertheless, the executables of an identified component or module neednot be physically located together, but may comprise disparateinstructions stored in different locations which, when joined logicallytogether, comprise the component or module and achieve the statedpurpose for the component or module.

Indeed, a component or module of executable code may be a singleinstruction, or many instructions, and may even be distributed overseveral different code segments, among different programs, and acrossseveral memory devices. Similarly, operational data may be identifiedand illustrated herein within components or modules, and may be embodiedin any suitable form and organized within any suitable type of datastructure. The operational data may be collected as a single data set,or may be distributed over different locations including over differentstorage devices, and may exist, at least partially, merely as electronicsignals on a system or network. The components or modules may be passiveor active, including agents operable to perform desired functions.

Additional examples of the presently described method, system, anddevice embodiments include the following, non-limiting configurations.Each of the following non-limiting examples may stand on its own, or maybe combined in any permutation or combination with any one or more ofthe other examples provided below or throughout the present disclosure.

Example 1 includes user equipment (UE) (for example, one or moresystems, apparatuses, devices, or other configurations) configured toestablish a connection with an Enhanced Packet Core (EPC) through atrusted attachment with a wireless local area network (WLAN), the UEcomprising processing circuitry arranged to: obtain, from the WLAN, alist of supported public land mobile networks (PLMNs); conduct asecurity exchange with the WLAN; receive authentication information fromresults of the security exchange; establish, using one or morecontainers provided in Access Network Query Protocol (ANQP)communications, attachment parameters to the WLAN for an EPC of one ofthe PLMNs; receive, using one or more containers provided in ANQPcommunications, configuration parameters from the WLAN; and implementthe configuration parameters and conduct communications with the WLANbased on the configuration parameters.

In Example 2, the subject matter of Example 1 may optionally include theUE communicating with the WLAN according to a standard from the IEEE802.11 standards family, wherein the EPC is provided by a Wireless WideArea Network (WWAN) operating according to a Long Term Evolution (LTE)or Long Term Evolution-Advanced (LTE-A) standard.

In Example 3, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples1-2 may optionally include operations to obtain, from the WLAN, a listof supported PLMNs that include: transmitting an ANQP query including a3GPP Network Information Element, wherein the 3GPP Network InformationElement included in the ANQP query provides a request for PLMNssupported by the WLAN; and receiving, from the WLAN, an ANQP responseincluding a 3GPP Network Information Element, wherein the 3GPP NetworkInformation Element included in the ANQP response provides a list ofPLMNs supported by the WLAN.

In Example 4, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples1-3 may optionally include operations to establish attachment parametersto the WLAN for one of the PLMNs by: transmitting an ANQP queryincluding a trusted WLAN container, wherein the trusted WLAN containerincluded in the ANQP query provides network connectivity information toestablish a trusted connection between the UE and the EPC via the WLAN;and receiving, from the WLAN, an ANQP response including a trusted WLANcontainer, wherein the trusted WLAN container included in the ANQPresponse provides configuration parameters to the UE for the trustedconnection.

In Example 5, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples1-4 may optionally include processing circuitry arranged to: transmit aDHCP request to the WLAN; and receive, in a DHCP response message fromthe WLAN, the IP address allocated by a Packet Data Network Gateway(PDN-GW) of the EPC.

In Example 6, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples1-5 may optionally include the UE being a mobile computing deviceselected from the group consisting of a smartphone, a personal digitalassistant (PDA), a notebook computer, a netbook computer, and a tablet.

In Example 7, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples1-6 may optionally include network equipment (for example, one or moresystems, apparatuses, devices, or other configurations) configured toprovide a wireless local area network (WLAN), the network equipmentcomprising processing circuitry arranged to establish the WLAN as atrusted access network for facilitating communications between a userequipment (UE) and an Evolved Packet Core (EPC), by: using one or morecommunications to exchange network information with the UE duringconnection establishment, the network information including connectionparameters to enable the UE to connect to the EPC through the WLAN;authenticating the UE with the EPC; establishing IP connectivity withthe UE from the EPC; and transmitting communications between the UE andthe EPC using the established IP connectivity.

In Example 8, the subject matter of Example 7 may optionally includeprocessing circuitry being provided by either or both of an accesscontroller or one or more access points, wherein the network equipmentprovides the WLAN according to a standard from the IEEE 802.11 standardsfamily, and wherein the EPC is provided by a Wireless Wide Area Network(WWAN) operating according to a Long Term Evolution (LTE) or Long TermEvolution-Advanced (LTE-A) standard.

In Example 9, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples7-8 may optionally include the network information exchanged with the UEduring connection establishment being exchanged in one or more DynamicHost Configuration Protocol (DHCP) communications or one or moreExtensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) communications.

In Example 10, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples7-9 may optionally include the network information exchanged with the UEbeing provided by one or more containers in Access Network QueryProtocol (ANQP) communications, wherein at least one of the one or morecontainers in the ANQP communications is provided according to astandard from the IEEE 802.11 standards family.

In Example 11, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples7-10 may optionally include using the one or more containers in the ANQPcommunications to exchange network information with the UE by:receiving, from the UE, an ANQP query including a 3GPP NetworkInformation Element, wherein the 3GPP Network Information Elementincluded in the ANQP query provides a request for Public Land MobileNetworks (PLMNs) supported by the WLAN; and responding, to the UE, withan ANQP response including a 3GPP Network Information Element, whereinthe 3GPP Network Information Element included in the ANQP responseprovides a list of PLMNs supported by the WLAN.

In Example 12, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples7-11 may optionally include using the one or more containers in the ANQPcommunications to exchange network information with the UE by:receiving, from the UE, an ANQP query including a trusted WLANcontainer, wherein the trusted WLAN container included in the ANQP queryprovides network connectivity information to establish a trustedconnection between the UE and the EPC via the WLAN; and responding, tothe UE, with an ANQP response including a trusted WLAN container,wherein the trusted WLAN container included in the ANQP responseprovides configuration parameters to the UE for the trusted connection.

In Example 13, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples7-12 may optionally include authenticating the UE with the EPC by:transmitting an authentication request to an authentication,authorization, and accounting (AAA) server of the EPC; receiving, fromthe AAA server, an Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) statusmessage; and providing an indication to the UE with results of theauthentication request based on the EAP status message.

In Example 14, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples7-13 may optionally include the processing circuitry further configuredto secure the connection between the UE and the WLAN using a securityprocedure defined by one or more standards from the IEEE 802.11standards family.

In Example 15, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples7-14 may optionally include establishing IP connectivity with the UEfrom the EPC by: receiving a DHCP request from the UE; transmitting anIP request to a Packet Data Network Gateway (PDN-GW) of the EPC;receiving a IP response from the PDN-GW including an IP addressallocated by the PDN-GW; and transmitting, to the UE in a DHCP responsemessage, the IP address allocated by the PDN-GW.

In Example 16, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples7-15 may optionally include authenticating the UE with the EPC bytransmitting an authentication request message including an UE NetworkAccess identifier, a Visited Public Land Mobile Network identifier, aWLAN access identity, an UE Media Access Control (MAC) address, and anindication whether the WLAN supports access to the EPC; wherein theconnection parameters provide attachment parameters to the WLANincluding the preferred Access Point Name, Packet Data Network Type, andAttach Type.

Example 17 may include, or may optionally be combined with the subjectmatter of one or any combination of Examples 1-16 to include a method(e.g., a process, technique, or procedural implementation) performed ina system, apparatus, device, network, or other setting, for establishinga trusted connection between a user equipment (UE) and an Evolved PacketCore (EPC), comprising: exchanging EPC network information with a UE inone or more Access Network Query Protocol (ANQP) communications, theANQP communications provided according to a standard from the IEEE802.11 standards family; authenticating the UE with the EPC;establishing IP connectivity with the UE from the EPC; and relayingcommunications between the UE and the EPC via a tunnel with the EPC.

In Example 18, the subject matter of Example 17 may optionally includethe method being performed in a wireless local area network (WLAN) byeither or both of an access controller or one or more access points ofthe WLAN, wherein the WLAN operates according to a standard from theIEEE 802.11 standards family, and wherein the EPC is provided by anetwork operating according to a Long Term Evolution (LTE) or Long TermEvolution-Advanced (LTE-A) standard.

In Example 19, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples17-18 may optionally receiving, from the UE, an ANQP query including a3GPP Network Information Element, wherein the 3GPP Network InformationElement included in the ANQP query provides a request for PLMNssupported by the WLAN; and responding, to the UE, with an ANQP responseincluding a 3GPP Network Information Element, wherein the 3GPP NetworkInformation Element included in the ANQP response provides a list ofPLMNs supported by the WLAN.

In Example 20, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples17-19 may optionally include receiving, from the UE, an ANQP queryincluding a trusted WLAN container, wherein the trusted WLAN containerincluded in the ANQP query provides network connectivity information toestablish a trusted connection between the UE and the EPC via the WLAN;and responding, to the UE, with an ANQP response including a trustedWLAN container, wherein the trusted WLAN container included in the ANQPresponse provides configuration parameters for the UE.

In Example 21, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples17-19 may optionally include transmitting an authentication request toan authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server of theEPC; receiving, from the AAA server, an Extensible AuthenticationProtocol (EAP) status message; and providing an indication to the UEwith the results of the authentication request based on the EAP statusmessage.

In Example 22, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples17-21 may optionally include securing the connection with the UE using asecurity procedure defined by one or more standards from the IEEE 802.11standards family.

In Example 23, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples17-22 may optionally include establishing IP connectivity with the UEfrom the EPC includes: receiving a DHCP request from the UE; sending anIP request to a Packet Data Network Gateway (PDN-GW) of the EPC;receiving a IP response from the PDN-GW including an IP addressallocated by the PDN-GW; and sending, to the UE in a DHCP responsemessage, the IP address allocated by the PDN-GW.

In Example 24, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples17-23 may optionally include establishing a trusted connection between asecond UE and the EPC, by: receiving an ANQP query from the second UEincluding additional connection parameters; performing a tunnelingprocedure to establish a second tunnel with the EPC, the tunnelingprocedure using the additional connection parameters received from thesecond UE and connection parameters from the EPC network informationexchanged with the UE; transmitting an ANQP response to the second UEincluding an IP address for the second UE; and relaying communicationsbetween the second UE and the EPC via the second tunnel with the EPC.

The Abstract of the Disclosure is intended to allow the reader toascertain the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. It issubmitted with the understanding that it will not be used to limit orinterpret the scope or meaning of the claims. The following claims arehereby incorporated into the detailed description, with each claimstanding on its own as a separate embodiment.

What is claimed is:
 1. A user equipment (UE) configured to establish aconnection with an Enhanced Packet Core (EPC) through a trustedattachment with a wireless local area network (WLAN), the UE comprisingprocessing circuitry arranged to: obtain, from the WLAN, a list ofsupported public land mobile networks (PLMNs); conduct a securityexchange with the WLAN; receive authentication information from resultsof the security exchange; establish, using one or more containersprovided in a first set of Access Network Query Protocol (ANQP)communications, attachment parameters to the WLAN for an EPC of one ofthe PLMNs; receive, using one or more containers provided in a secondset of ANQP communications, configuration parameters from the WLAN; andimplement the configuration parameters and conduct communications withthe WLAN based on the configuration parameters.
 2. The user equipment ofclaim 1, wherein the UE communicates with the WLAN according to astandard from the IEEE 802.11 standards family, and wherein the EPC isprovided by a Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN) operating according to aLong Term Evolution (LTE) or Long Term Evolution-Advanced (LTE-A)standard.
 3. The user equipment of claim 1, wherein operations toobtain, from the WLAN, a list of supported PLMNs includes: transmittingan ANQP query including a first 3GPP Network Information Element,wherein the first 3GPP Network Information Element included in the ANQPquery provides a request for PLMNs supported by the WLAN; and receiving,from the WLAN, an ANQP response including a second 3GPP NetworkInformation Element, wherein the second 3GPP Network Information Elementincluded in the ANQP response provides a list of PLMNs supported by theWLAN.
 4. The user equipment of claim 1, wherein operations to establishattachment parameters to the WLAN for one of the PLMNs include:transmitting an ANQP query including a first trusted WLAN container,wherein the first trusted WLAN container included in the ANQP queryprovides network connectivity information to establish a trustedconnection between the UE and the EPC via the WLAN; and receiving, fromthe WLAN, an ANQP response including a second trusted WLAN container,wherein the second trusted WLAN container included in the ANQP responseprovides configuration parameters to the UE for the trusted connection.5. The user equipment of claim 1, further comprising processingcircuitry arranged to: transmit a DHCP request to the WLAN; and receive,in a DHCP response message from the WLAN, an IP address allocated by aPacket Data Network Gateway (PDN-GW) of the EPC.
 6. The user equipmentof claim 1, wherein the UE is a mobile computing device configured foroperation as: a smartphone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), anotebook computer, a netbook computer, or a tablet.
 7. A networkequipment configured to provide a wireless local area network (WLAN),the network equipment comprising processing circuitry arranged toestablish the WLAN as a trusted access network for facilitatingcommunications between a user equipment (UE) and an Evolved Packet Core(EPC), by: using one or more containers in Access Network Query Protocol(ANQP) communications to exchange network information with the UE duringconnection establishment, the network information including connectionparameters to enable the UE to connect to the EPC via the WLAN;authenticating the UE with the EPC; establishing IP connectivity withthe UE from the EPC; and transmitting communications between the UE andthe EPC using the established IP connectivity.
 8. The network equipmentof claim 7, wherein the processing circuitry is provided by either orboth of an access controller or one or more access points, wherein thenetwork equipment provides the WLAN according to a standard from theIEEE 802.11 standards family, and wherein the EPC is provided by aWireless Wide Area Network (WWAN) operating according to a Long TermEvolution (LTE) or Long Term Evolution-Advanced (LTE-A) standard.
 9. Thenetwork equipment of claim 7, wherein at least one of the one or morecontainers in the ANQP communications is provided according to astandard from the IEEE 802.11 standards family.
 10. The networkequipment of claim 9, wherein using the one or more containers in theANQP communications to exchange network information with the UEincludes: receiving, from the UE, an ANQP query including a first 3GPPNetwork Information Element, wherein the first 3GPP Network InformationElement included in the ANQP query provides a request for Public LandMobile Networks (PLMNs) supported by the WLAN; and responding, to theUE, with an ANQP response including a second 3GPP Network InformationElement, wherein the second 3GPP Network Information Element included inthe ANQP response provides a list of PLMNs supported by the WLAN. 11.The network equipment of claim 9, wherein using the one or morecontainers in the ANQP communications to exchange network informationwith the UE includes: receiving, from the UE, an ANQP query including afirst trusted WLAN container, wherein the first trusted WLAN containerincluded in the ANQP query provides network connectivity information toestablish a trusted connection between the UE and the EPC via the WLAN;and responding, to the UE, with an ANQP response including a secondtrusted WLAN container, wherein the second trusted WLAN containerincluded in the ANQP response provides configuration parameters to theUE for the trusted connection.
 12. The network equipment of claim 7,wherein authenticating the UE with the EPC includes: transmitting anauthentication request to an authentication, authorization, andaccounting (AAA) server of the EPC; receiving, from the AAA server, anExtensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) status message; and providingan indication to the UE with results of the authentication request basedon the EAP status message.
 13. The network equipment of claim 7, theprocessing circuitry further configured to secure the communicationsbetween the UE and the EPC via the WLAN using a security proceduredefined by one or more standards from the IEEE 802.11 standards family.14. The network equipment of claim 7, wherein establishing IPconnectivity with the UE from the EPC includes: receiving a DHCP requestfrom the UE; transmitting an IP request to a Packet Data Network Gateway(PDN-GW) of the EPC; receiving an IP response from the PDN-GW includingan IP address allocated by the PDN-GW; and transmitting, to the UE in aDHCP response message, the IP address allocated by the PDN-GW.
 15. Thenetwork equipment of claim 7, wherein authenticating the UE with the EPCincludes transmitting an authentication request message including an UENetwork Access identifier, a Visited Public Land Mobile Networkidentifier, a WLAN access identity, an UE Media Access Control (MAC)address, and an indication whether the WLAN supports access to the EPC;and wherein the connection parameters provide attachment parameters tothe WLAN including a preferred Access Point Name, Packet Data NetworkType, and Attach Type.
 16. A method performed for establishing a trustedconnection between a user equipment (UE) and a 3GPP Evolved Packet Core(EPC), comprising: exchanging EPC network information with a UE in oneor more Access Network Query Protocol (ANQP) communications, the ANQPcommunications provided according to a standard from the IEEE 802.11standards family; authenticating the UE with the EPC; establishing IPconnectivity with the UE from the EPC; and relaying communicationsbetween the UE and the EPC via a tunnel with the EPC.
 17. The method ofclaim 16, wherein the method is performed in a wireless local areanetwork (WLAN) by either or both of an access controller or one or moreaccess points of the WLAN, wherein the WLAN operates according to astandard from the IEEE 802.11 standards family, and wherein the EPC isprovided by a network operating according to a Long Term Evolution (LTE)or Long Term Evolution-Advanced (LTE-A) standard.
 18. The method ofclaim 17, further comprising: receiving, from the UE, an ANQP queryincluding a first 3GPP Network Information Element, wherein the first3GPP Network Information Element included in the ANQP query provides arequest for PLMNs supported by the WLAN; and responding, to the UE, withan ANQP response including a second 3GPP Network Information Element,wherein the second 3GPP Network Information Element included in the ANQPresponse provides a list of PLMNs supported by the WLAN.
 19. The methodof claim 17, further comprising: receiving, from the UE, an ANQP queryincluding a first trusted WLAN container, wherein the first trusted WLANcontainer included in the ANQP query provides network connectivityinformation to establish the trusted connection between the UE and theEPC via the WLAN; and responding, to the UE, with an ANQP responseincluding a second trusted WLAN container, wherein the second trustedWLAN container included in the ANQP response provides configurationparameters for the UE.
 20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:transmitting an authentication request to an authentication,authorization, and accounting (AAA) server of the EPC; receiving, fromthe AAA server, an Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) statusmessage; and providing an indication to the UE with results of theauthentication request based on the EAP status message.
 21. The methodof claim 16, further comprising: securing the trusted connection withthe UE using a security procedure defined by one or more standards fromthe IEEE 802.11 standards family.
 22. The method of claim 16, whereinestablishing IP connectivity with the UE from the EPC includes:receiving a DHCP request from the UE; sending an IP request to a PacketData Network Gateway (PDN-GW) of the EPC; receiving a IP response fromthe PDN-GW including an IP address allocated by the PDN-GW; and sending,to the UE in a DHCP response message, the IP address allocated by thePDN-GW.
 23. The method of claim 16, further comprising establishing asecond trusted connection between a second UE and the EPC, by: receivingan ANQP query from the second UE including additional connectionparameters; performing a tunneling procedure to establish a secondtunnel with the EPC, the tunneling procedure using the additionalconnection parameters received from the second UE and connectionparameters from the EPC network information exchanged with the UE;transmitting an ANQP response to the second UE including an IP addressfor the second UE; and relaying communications between the second UE andthe EPC via the second tunnel with the EPC.